The Things We Wear and Why, from CBC Radio One Arts cat / writer RAJI SOHAL.

Monday, October 24, 2011

Galerie Noel Guyomarc'h II - Artist Barb Smith

An installation of lockets by Amelia Toelke, on exhibit at Galerie Noel Guyomarc'h.

I've mentioned my favorite Montréal jewelry shop - Galerie Noel Guyomarc'h - before. Gallerist/owner, Noel, just recently invited Venetia Dale to the shop to put together an exhibition of jewelry and objets d'arts by other artists including the incredible work of New York-based metalsmith, Barb Smith.

An Alex Hibbs sculpture (it sold to an intelligent and striking woman during the opening).

Smith often works with the readymade or found object. From repurposing bobby pins to dryer lint, she creates whimsical reflections on how we interact with everyday items.

Smith's simple series on keys cleverly flips the ubiquitous item from its regular context. A key is altered; elongated, stretched, and morphed into a a kind of visual poem, drawing your attention to the very 'thingness' of the object itself. You find yourself considering the intended use of a key and our gestures around it. Suddenly you can see how within a single object an entire set of social expectations are implied.